Road machine or scraper.



A L. B. MGALPINE. ROAD MACHINE 0B SCHAPER.

(Application led Dec. 30, 1893.)

3` Sheets Sheet I.

(Nn Model.)

lnul wh ulm N0. 637,644. Patented Nov. 2|, |899. L. B. MGALPINE.

HAD` MAGHINE 0R SCRAPER.

(Application vfiled Dec. 30, 1893.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I vMVL-A1111 EL N0. 637,644. Patented Nov. 2|, |899. L. B. MGALPINE.

4IIGAD MACHINE 0R SCRAPER.

(A ication led Dec. 80, 1893.) (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

ii I

iamn mum v um i u y uuml 2 llll mimi WITNE55E= NVENTDE I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEMUEL B. MCALPINE, VOF MARATHON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLIMAX ROAD MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ROAD MACHINE OR SCRAPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,644, dated November 21, 1899.

Y Application filed December 30, 1893. Serial No. 495,219. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, LEMUEL B. MCALPINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marathon, in the county of Cortland and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road Machines or Scrapers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in road-machines g and it has for its principal object to provide suitable means for controlling the rear axle-arms, and thereby the wheels mounted thereon, in such manner that the angle of the diagonally-disposed scraper bar or blade may be changed at will to adapt said bar or blade for more efcient work under certain conditions of soil.

This invention consists, essentially, in the peculiar construction of the axle and in certain mechanism connected with the axle-arms, whereby the movements of the wheels may be set at different angles to the line of draft, as will be hereinafter more fully described in this specification and specifically set out in the claims.

The above-mentioned object is attained by the mechanisln illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the rear portion of a road-machine, showing my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2, an end view of the same; Fig. 3, a top plan view; Fig. 4, a modification of the mechanism for controlling the movements of the rear wheels, and Fig. 5 a detail view of the locking-dog and segment.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A indicates the mainframe of the machine, said frame consisting of twoside beams a c, secured at their rear ends to the axle B. The forward ends of said beams may be connected in the usual manner to the bolster pivoted to the front axle. A suitable platform 1, a portion only of which is shown, is supported from the side beams a a.

The numerals 1 and 2 indicate,respectively, two steel cross-plates, which are rigidly secured to the axle B by means of bolts 3 3.

These plates are provided at their respective ends with suitable apertures, in which are j ournaled the vertical arms of the cut axles 4 4. front or rear sides with an arm 5 and with the usual skein or arm for the reception of the wheel. Said axles and their respective arms are preferably made of steel and formed integral, the arms extending in a forward direction. Each curved arm 5 has connected to it one end of a cutting-bar 6, the other end of`each of said bars being pivoted to one end of a lever 7, which is fulcrumed at S on a cross-bar 9, secured between the braces b b of the main frame, or the bars 6 may extend between the ends of the arms 5. The other end of said lever 7 is secured to a toothed segment 10, which is provided on its upper face with a series of lugs or catches 11, the purpose of which will presently appear. It will be observed that the bars 6, with the lever 7, constitute a toggle-lever by means of which the axles are easily moved.

Secured to the platform P in any couvenient manner is a bracket 12, formed with a suitable box 13, in which is stepped the end of a shaft 14, on which is secured a pinion 15, meshing with the toothed segment 10. The shaft 14 is journaled in a suitable bearing made in a bracket 16, secured to a cross-bar c, which connects together the rear side posts ofthe platform, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper end of said shaft is provided with a hand operating-wheel 17.

The numeral 18 indicates a locking dog or lever fulcrumed to the under side of the platform. The forward end of said dog normally engages the lugs or catches on the toothed segment, and thus holds the wheels in whatever position they may be placed.

The numeral 19 indicates a leaf-spring having one end secured to the platform and the other end resting undera foot-piece 20. The said spring by keeping the rear end of the locking-dog elevated keeps the other end depressed and in contact with the catches of the toothed segment unt-il overcome by the pressure of the operatives foot upon said dog.

The operation of a road-machine with my improvements applied thereto and the advantages to be derived therefrom are best de- The axles are provided upon the IOO scribed in connection with a description of the operation of constructing a road, which is as follows: In building or constructing a road the operator of the machine first cuts a light furrow at a point about midway between Vthe center of desired road and the proposed ditch. If the soil is very hard, it is desirable to have the scraper-bar run nearly par` allel with the line of draft, so that the points end of said dog becomes disengaged from the'- lug or catches of the toothed segment, leaving it free to be operated by the pinion on.

the operating-shaft. The operator then turns the hand operating-wheel in the desired direction, which operation causes the lever 7 to turn upon its fulcrum and move the bars 6 in a lateral direction, which action causes the wheels to assume the position shown by the the wheel on that side of the machine on which the point of the blade is working, so as to bring the forward part of the wheel near the frame of the machine, and throwing the other rear wheel in the opposite direction, the rear end of the machine may be carried over toward the ditch and the blade thus brought more nearly parallel to the line of draft,which will insure the most efficient operation of the the `line made by the point of the blade.

machine.

Having made the first furrow, the operator next drives the front wheel on the working side in the furrow irst cut and eX- tends the blade beyondthe front wheel, so that there is a new furrow being cut outside of the first one. In this round it is desirable to have the rear Wheel on the workin g side follow along is accomplished by the operator moving the rear wheels insucha-position that they shall be equally distant from the trame of the machine onl each side thereof. Having cut the second furrow, itis next desired to move the earth that has been cut up toward the center of the proposed road. Frequently the bank up which the earth is to be moved is abrupt or slippery, and on account of the blade being carried at an angle to the road and the earth pressing against it the rear end of the machine is sometimes carried sidewise and the earth is not moved as far toward the desired point as it would have been were it not for this slipping. By the-use of my invention the operator has three ways to overcome the difficulty. If there is a bank on the ditch side of the road,he may throw thewheels in the position iirst described, bracing the rear wheel against the bank of earth, and thus holding the machine in position to do the most eifective work, or he may move the Wheels in the opposite direction and carry them up on the ator. i turning the machine around in a limited space and, after turning, in placing it in position for its work on the return trip. is not a supposable case wherein the inven- This ` beam 27 of the platform.

level part of the road, or he may place the wheels and blade in such relative position that the windrow of earth will be deposited just inside of the rear wheel which is situated at the rear of the blade, thus giving to said wheel a brace against the. windrow of earth and holding the machine in place. Again, there are often Vhollows in the center of the road into which the dirt isto be drifted. By putting the rear wheel on the side on which the point of the blade is working in such a position that the front of the Wheel is thrown in toward the frame of the machine and the other wheel in the opposite direction thedesired object will be successfully accomplished. Often there are obstructions-such as telegraph and telephone poles, rocks, and treesat the side of the road-Which it is most desirable to shun with the rear wheels and still y ,have them projected beyond the line of such obstructions at all points where possible. In this case the wheels can be readily manipulated to run around the obstructions and quickly returned to their former line of travel.

l They can also be adjusted to pass over crossdotted lines in Fig. 3 or the position reverse p thereto. Thus it will be seen that by turning walks, sluices, &c., and caused to return to the ditch immediately at the will of the oper- The invention is likewise useful in In fact there tion will not be a material aid in overcoming the side slipping of the rear end of a roadmachine when moving earth, so common to machines heretofore in use. Y

In the modificationshown in Fig. 4 the mechanism for controlling the cutting-bars,

whichare attached tothe curved arms of the axles, is very much simpler than that Vpreviously described, but equally as efficient in operation.' In place of the lever I employ an operating-lever 2l, which is pivoted on a bolt 22, passing through the axle, and has the end of each cutting-bar pivoted to it at point 23, a short distance from its pivotal end. This lever extends within reach of the operator, whose position is on the platform, and is provided with a handle 24 and an engaging pin 25, which is adapted to engage any one of a series of holes 26 made in the cross- The operation of this device is readily apparent. To cut the wheels, the lever is moved laterally, and when sai-d wheels are in the desired position the pin 25 is placed in the hole beneath it, holding the wheels in that position.

I am aware that wagons and similar vehicles have been constructed having a mechanism similar in some respects to the one herein described; but as far as I am aware they diifer inthe essential particulars and are for a different purpose. v

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Y V1 .In a road-machine of the character de- IOO IIO

scribed,the combination of the rear stationary axle and the pivoted cut axles having extended arms, a lever pivoted to the frame of the machine and attached at its rear end to the extended arms on the axle, and provided at its forward end with a tooth-segment, of a pinion on the lower end of an operating-rod arranged in bearings on the machine and adapted to engage the tooth-segment, a series of independent lugs or catches on the upper face of said tootl1-segnient and a locking-dog pivoted to the frame of the machine and adapted to engage the teeth on the upper surface of the segment for the purpose of holding same in locking position, substantially as described.

2. In a road-machine of the character de- Scribed,the combination with the rear stationary axle and the pivoted cut axles having extended arms, a lever pivoted to the frame of the machine connecting` its rear end to the extended arms on the axle, and provided at its forward end with a tooth-segment, the teeth thereof being` upon the forward vertical edge thereof, of a pinion adapted to engage said teeth, and a suitable rod for operating said pinion to cut the axles, a series of teeth or lugs ou the upper horizontal face of said 

